The trade deadline is the trade deadline. Except when it’s not the trade deadline.
The strange situation involving the failed trade of Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley to the Broncos reveals a major flaw in the NFL’s deadline machinery.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has gave the details (which we have confirmed to be correct) in the most innocent and innocuous terms possible: “It’s not unusual for one team to have some medical concerns for a player and another not. In this case, Denver had concerns about Henley after his physical. Even then, the Broncos still wanted Henley with Denver and LA. In discussing the revised concerns throughout the day, no alternative deal was reached, considering the revised deal, do not consider alternative agreements considering the revised agreement during the day. The agreement was broken.”
Here’s what it means. The Chargers and Broncos reached an agreement for Henley and independently communicated terms to the NFL before the trade deadline of 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday, November 10. Like all trades, Henley’s deal was subject to the player passing a physical.
The Broncos discovered a problem with Henley’s knee. We are told, he has arthritis. (As a source with either the Chargers or the Broncos told PFT, most if not all starting players in the NFL have some degree of arthritis in their knees.)
The NFL allows trade terms to be revised after the deadline, to an extent. Per a league spokesman: “We will allow them to change the pick compensation. They will not be able to add a player or trade another player.”
Rather than conclude that the physical had failed and scrap the deal (as the Ravens did with the trade for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby in March), the Broncos were willing to proceed with revised terms. In other words, for something less than a fourth-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-round pick in 2028, they would still make the deal.
It shouldn’t work like this after the deadline. The window is closed. Agreements are made, or they are not made. After 4:00 PM ET on November 10th, the only question left to be answered is whether the player passes or fails the physical.
As one source explained, daily deals have been in the past with terms that have been revised after the deadline.
Based on Schefter’s reporting, that’s what happened here. The Broncos had “medical concerns,” but not enough to reject the player. The Broncos and Chargers discussed “revised trade options” on Wednesday — a day after the trade window ended.
The Chargers could have taken less to complete the deal. They chose not to. The fact that the rules allow the terms of the trade to be renegotiated after the deadline opened the door for the Broncos to squeeze the Chargers.
The situation creates an opportunity for jokes. If, for example, Team A is preparing to trade a player to Team B at the deadline for a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick, Team C can come in and offer a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick. Then, when the team physical is done after the deadline, Team C can say, “Well, we have medical concerns. If we don’t agree to reduce the package to a fourth-round pick and a sixth-round pick, we’re going to fail the player on his physical.”
That’s not to say the Broncos did it on purpose. Naturally, however, they remained interested in Henley (who has started all eight games this year and featured in 89 per cent) on something less than agreed terms.
The point is, this little-known ability to extend the trade period by giving the buying team the ability to use physicality to get better terms shouldn’t exist. When a deal is made at the deadline, the trade either has to go through on the agreed terms or it doesn’t.
It opens the door to the game. The team that traded the player has no alternatives. Cannot swap player with someone else. He must either accept reduced terms or try to put the toothpaste back in the tube.
The Vikings, for example, could have tried to do this to the Raiders regarding quarterback Kirk Cousins. “Well, we found something in Kirk’s leg that we don’t like. We’re not comfortable giving up a third-round pick. How about a fifth-round pick instead?”
What would the Raiders have done at that point? They had already turned the page on Fernando Mendoza and spent Tuesday and Wednesday getting him ready to play.
The rule must change. The possibility to review the terms of trade after the deadline should be eliminated. Either the deal goes through as negotiated, or it doesn’t.
Hovering over all of this is the subjectivity that can result in a team failing a physical player if it wants that result. It’s an easy way out for a team with buyer’s remorse. (The Bengals, for example, could have determined that Eagles defensive end Arnold Ebiketie failed a physical if the Bengals hadn’t realized until after the terms of the trade were completed that the Bengals would lose a compensatory 2027 third-round pick if the trade became official.)
At some point, it makes sense for the physicals to be performed not by team doctors, but by an independent, unrelated physician. But that’s for another day. For now, the immediate issue that needs to be resolved is the ability of teams to renegotiate trade terms after the trade deadline.
No one benefits from this and unscrupulous teams can use it to their advantage.
